Your blog is no longer something that belongs to you alone, so if there’s a reason why you’re not updating it, then you need to communicate that. Please ensure that you are reachable at all times. You didn’t reply to my messages, and I was concerned for you.
The relevance of this quote from my current read, Hooked by Asako Yuzuki, feels like a fitting way to resurface after an almost month-long hiatus. The story follows a socially awkward woman named Eriko, who becomes obsessed with a popular blogger known for her unfiltered posts. Eriko is so self-unaware that even when she intentionally bumps into the blogger, Shoko, at her favourite café, she doesn’t realize how stalkerish her actions are. Initially, Shoko bonds with Eriko, but Shoko soon realizes that something is off about the woman. Sensing impending rejection, Eriko scrambles to manipulate Shoko’s impression of her to align with her idealized self-image.
Like Shoko, I did not start my blog aspiring to become an influencer, especially since “influencer” wasn’t yet in the lexicon when I started blogging in 2000. Unlike Shoko, my candour has yet to attract a large following. This blog remains a niche within a nearly dead form of digital media.
So, thanks for sticking around awaiting my resurrection.
I got back from Slovenia last Thursday, spent an evening in Vancouver and then, from Swartz Bay, carrying nearly the same amount of load as I did three weeks earlier, I made the sunny return home riding on the Lochside Trail. Three weeks continues to be my limit for being away from home. I travel because I seek adventure, not because I don’t already live in a place bursting with beauty, as was evident while rolling towards home. Even the annoyingly strong headwind wasn’t enough to wipe the smile off my face.
Summarizing my three-week trip will be no small feat. I plan on publishing it in fun-sized, easily digestible bits, peppered with post-trip events; otherwise, I’ll never catch up, and you guys will kick into tl;dr mode.
Also relevant:
